The Lost Years Of Locksley
by swirling-embers
Summary: Lizzy Botham is a housemaid in Locksley Manor, but when the master goes to the fight in the Holy Land, how will Lizzy find life with Gisborne? Maybe her friend Jack, will save her...
1. Change

**Disclaimer: I do not own Guy of Gisborne (thankfully) but Lizzy and Jack are my own creations.**

**Please review, as if this is any good I was hoping to write some more chapters...**

**Anyway, enjoy!!**

The Lost Years Of Locksley

Lizzy Botham had started working in Locksley Manor two months before the master has left for the Holy Lands, to fight at King Richard's side. She had been 11 at the time and had been taken in by Robin of Locksley after her mother's tragic death. The child had been given to Alison, the old housemaid, to be cared for.

That had been over 4 years ago.

Lizzy was now almost 16 and had grown into a fine young woman. She was fairly tall for her age with a beautifully curved figure, as working had not let her become dainty or frail. Her face was framed by soft, hazelnut curls that reached down just below her shoulders. Lizzy had a number of light freckles that dusted her cheeks and her eyes were a deep emerald-green with a mischievous sparkle.

However, times had changed and rarely now did her eyes light up, as nothing seemed to make her smile anymore. Well, nearly nothing.

It had all started when the Sheriff of Nottingham had been forced to step down. He and his daughter, Marian, had moved into a house not far from Locksley Manor but not much was now heard of them. The new Sheriff had changed everything and had brought with him a temporary replacement for Robin while he was in the Holy Land.

Guy of Gisborne.

Lizzy shuddered as if the thought of his name dirtied her. She detested him, not least because he had replaced most of the staff, including Alison. Lizzy had grown to love the woman like she had loved her mother and had been inconsolable when the housemaid had to leave. She had tried to go with Alison but the old woman had forced her to stay, making her promise to stay there where there was a roof over her head and she was safe. She could feel tears welling in her eyes now, as she thought about the old housemaid. She missed her terribly and as many of the replacement staff had been brought in by the new master, Lizzy had had no desire to become acquaintances with any of them.

Lizzy stood up once she had finished cleaning the floors of the kitchen. As she stepped outside into the courtyard she could hear Jack, the stable boy, crashing about and shouting in the stables. The sound of his voice made Lizzy's eyes sparkle, all sorrow and hurt flowed freely out of her body as she walked across to the source of the commotion, a smile quickly spreading across her face. The sight of Jack stuck under a pile of hay bales with tack and barrels strewn across the floor was one that Lizzy had not been expecting. After calming down from her initial hysterics, she managed to help her friend up. Jack's face was flushed and he scowled at the horses, but he brightened up as he looked back towards Lizzy. Before long the stable was back to normal and the friends sat down together on a barrel to admire their work.

Jack was 17 and slightly taller than Lizzy with dark brown hair and eyes. His father was the horse groom at Locksley Manor but Jack had never quite mastered the knack of being a stable boy. They lived in Locksley town so Lizzy only saw Jack when he was at the Manor, but he was her first and best friend.

The clatter of hooves in the courtyard startled the friends and Lizzy's mood darkened as she realised it was Gisborne and his men returning from terrorising the villagers. Jack ran outside to take the horses from the men and Lizzy followed at a distance. Now that Gisborne was back even being near Jack could not lift her spirits. She detested her master and, as much as she pretended it didn't happen, she knew he often looked at her; looked at her body. She hated it and hated being near him. Lizzy stepped into the courtyard and tried to inconspicuously get into the house. It didn't work.

Gisborne was striding across the courtyard towards Lizzy. He had seen her leaving the stables and knew she had been with the stable boy. As he reached her side he grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn towards him.

"Why aren't you in the house?"

Lizzy shook with hatred and fear. Her answer was quiet and she could not look at him in the eyes, for fear of what she would see in their depths.

"I was helping Jack, _master_"

Lizzy spat this last word out, wrenched her arm free and ran into the house. Jack's eyes burned with loathing for Gisborne, for he had seen what had just happened. He cared deeply for Lizzy; more so then he let on, and could not stand the way Gisborne looked at her. Jack hurriedly led the horses into the sable, so as not to let on to Gisborne that what had happened had hurt him, but saw with disgust the smile on Gisborne's face: he knew.

_Someday_, thought Jack, _Someday I will stop him._

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	2. Flour and arrows

**Discalimer: Lizzy and Jack are my invented characters but Guy of Gisborne is from Robin Hood BBC**

**Sorry its taken me a while to get this posted - the chapter was longer than i was expecting it to be XD**

**Thanks ****KatGirlMeow for reviewing :)**

**Anyway, enjoy...**

It was over a fortnight before Jack saw Lizzy again. In that time he had decided that he would help her, but did not know how. If she left the Manor she would have nowhere to go and Jack's father did not earn enough money to take her in. However, Jack was stubborn and wouldn't admit to himself that he couldn't do anything for Lizzy. While walking through the village one day, thinking about how best to prove himself to Lizzy, Jack noticed a bow and arrows lent up against a shed. Without contemplating how this could actually help, Jack ran inside and started bartering with the man inside about the price for the weapon. In the end he got it, but it cost him steeply. Jack hardly cared, for in his eyes he now had his answer.

Lizzy was cleaning the plates when she heard a muffled 'thud'. She turned towards the sound and saw a small floury cloud swirling out from the pantry. After drying her hand on her well worn apron, Lizzy headed into the pantry. The floor had been coated in a thin layer of flour and the air was still thick with white dust. The culprit of the mess was a now empty flour sack, with a considerable amount of gnawing at the corners, the work of mice. Lizzy sighed before dutifully cleaning up the flour. It was no longer in a fit state to be used, and most of it had to be thrown away. However, Lizzy kept as much as she could that was still OK and went to tell the cook what had happened.

Leaves crunched under foot as Jack made his way through the leaf litter whistling quietly to himself. He had picked a secluded spot on the skirts of Sherwood Forest to practice with his new bow. The weapon gave Jack confidence and he sauntered into a small clearing where the afternoon sun lazily filtered between the trees. Jack's pride was dashed as his first attempt left the arrow skimming across the earth barely ten feet away. Hurriedly he placed another arrow in the bow and, taking aim at a broad beech trunk, fired. This arrow fared slightly better than the first, but was still a fair distance off the target. Again Jack placed an arrow in the bow and took aim…

The cook was an ample man in his late thirties whose patience wore thin quickly with all members of the staff who he viewed below him; this included Lizzy. She started to explain to him about the flour, and how she saved what she could. The cook was not interested in her story and told her to throw away all the flour from the sack; the master liked only the best flour. Tiring of the girls questions, the cook ordered her out of the main kitchen, telling her no-one would care about the loss of a sack of flour. As the door slammed shut behind Lizzy, a mischievous smile appeared on her face; she knew exactly what to do with the flour.

After spending an afternoon in the forest, Jack was frustrated and annoyed; shooting was not as easy as he'd presumed it would be. It took him a while to find all the arrows, all but one straying from their target, and even that one had bounced of the trunk. Once he had all the arrows Jack trudged back towards Locksley and before long was outside his house. Jack's house was no more than a small wooden hut, but he was still proud of his father's work; the house has never quailed to any storm. A tattered note was pinned to the door whose message soured Jack's mood even more; he had to join his father at the manor stables. After stashing his bow and arrows carefully under his sleeping-mat, Jack headed towards the house with the setting sun at his back.

Lizzy hid the small sack of flour and a loaf of bread behind a hay-bale at the back of the stables. Her hands were shaking as she pushed the stolen goods out of sight; she was tense and the adrenalin running through her body kept her on edge, ready to run at the slightest sound. Eventually she was satisfied with the hiding spot and turned to walk back to the house. Lizzy had grabbed the loaf of bread earlier while fetching ingredients for the cook and stowed it with the remainder of flour before hiding them in the stable. She was planning to take them to Locksley at first light to give to the villagers. Lizzy knew it wasn't much but felt proud at both helping the starving people of Locksley and doing it by stealing from Gisborne.

Jack saw Lizzy leaving the stables and wondered what she had been doing. His mood was still foul from before and he didn't want to talk to her. He stepped into the shadows that the tall walls of the courtyard had made due to the setting sun and stood quietly hoping Lizzy would walk by without noticing him. However, she had seen movement as he had stepped closer to the wall and walked over to investigate what had glimsed out of the corner of her eye. Jack saw her face light up as she recognised who it was and he felt guilty at trying to hide from her. He smiled sheepishly as she rushed over to him and listened as she told him what she was planning to do.

When Lizzy had finished telling Jack her plan she asked him if he wanted to help her. To her confusion he told her that it was a stupid and foolish thing to think of doing. He said that a few loaves of bread and some ruined flour would never help anyone and the town would just end up in trouble because of her.

Jack had let his earlier anger get the better of him and had told Lizzy that he wanted nothing to do with her childish games and that she should stop too. He hadn't meant it to be harsh, but he felt annoyed that she didn't seem to need him to save her. He stopped speaking as hurt washed across Lizzy's face. The pain was quickly replaced with anger that burned through her tear filled eyes.

"How could you say that?"

Jack's anger evaporated immediately as he stood dumbfounded, watching Lizzy stalk off. He was now confused at what had just transpired; this is not what was supposed to happen! He was meant to protect her and in return she would… Jack shook his head, _why can't she understand that she'll just end up in trouble stealing form Gisborne? I'm meant to be keeping her safe, and I do want to help the peasants, but not this way!_

Lizzy was fuming as she stormed into the kitchen, rubbing her palms roughly across her face to disperse the tears. _How dare he?! I thought out of all people he'd have wanted to help! Probably thinks he's above the other peasants, working here at the house. But I'll show him; I'll help them, no matter what the cost..._

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**Hope it wasn't too long and tedious but i didn't want to split it into 2 chapters**

**Please review **

**xxx**


	3. Tears

**Only a short chapter as I've got loads of work**

**Thanks KatGirlMeow and Matriaya for reviewing and the helpful comments**

**xxx**

Lizzy woke before dawn as usual and hurriedly dressed before quietly leaving the servant quarters. Once out in the courtyard the events of last night rushed to her and the sight of the stables turned her stomach. Hesitantly she stepped in, avoiding startling the horses and uncovered the food. Her hands were shaking from a mixture of cold and worry. Jack's words were spinning round her head, spreading doubt and uncertainty through her thoughts. Quickly she turned away from the food and ran back to the house.

_I can't, not today…_

Jack hadn't been able to sleep and had spent most of the night twisting and turning until the noise woke his father and he was sent outside. The sun had nearly risen when Jack decided that he had to talk to Lizzy and after eating a meagre breakfast, set off towards the Manor. In his head he ran over exactly what he would say to her, how he would apologise and explain that he just wanted to keep her from harm. _But I can't tell her about the bow, she'll think I'm just a silly little boy playing with childish toys. _When he reached the courtyard he headed straight towards the stables but when Jack looked in he saw Lizzy crouched at the far end by the hay. All Jack's words left him as he threw himself back round the corner and out of sight as Lizzy turned back and rushed out. Jack tried to call to her as she ran past but the words stuck in his throat as he watched her throw open the kitchen door and disappear from sight. The lump in his throat grew until he had to turn away from the house. He loved Lizzy, the last thing he had ever meant to do was hurt her. However much it scared him to face up to what he had done, Jack knew that he had to talk to her.

Lizzy knew Jack was there before he spoke, his familiar shape shadowing over the patch of floor she was cleaning. She found it hard to stop emotion leaking into her words and when she spoke her voice was broken by persistent sobs.

"What do you want?" Jack winced as her words hit him. Once again he felt the lump forming in his throat and spoke quickly before he was left speechless.

"Lizzy, please, I didn't mean what I said, I -"

"No, don't bother" Without turning to facing him, Lizzy stood and walked towards the door. She opened it and turned to face Jack, her eyes pink and watery from crying

"I always thought you would understand Jack. All those times I talked about helping, about working against Gisborne. Did you silently mock me every time?"

"No! Listen to yourself; you know that's not true! Please -" The slam of the door cut Jack's sentence short and he was left alone in the room.

"Lizzy!" Forgetting where he was Jack called after her, but knew it was useless. His cry was not met by swords and guards as they were out, escorting Gisborne to the castle, Jack was left unmoved. For what felt like an eternity Jack stood watching the door, unblinking, hoping that it would open and Lizzy would be back to hear his apology. Eventually he turned and left, walking through the house without a thought for stealth. As he walked through the yard a figure stood at a widow, their hand placed lightly upon the pane, tears flowing freely down their face.

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**Any feedback welcome : )**

**xxx**


	4. Bruises

**OK, here is chapter 4, sorry it had taken so long to write, i have been very busy with homework etc.**

**Thanks Matriaya for being my beta **

**Please R&R :)**

Bruises 

A couple of weeks past and Lizzy saw nothing of Jack. For the first few days, she moved around the house like a ghost; oblivious to everything and everyone, doing her work without a thought. Inside she was broken, and what she found worst was that she didn't know why. Jack had been like a brother to her, yet she knew that when siblings fight it surely shouldn't hurt like this. Finally, she started to feel better and her grief turned into determination. The pile of food in the stable grew and Lizzy added to it slowly as to not arouse attention to the fact that it was missing. Everyday she felt more resolute and knew that she was doing the right thing, but even this thought could not persuade her to go into the town; even the journey into the stables worried Lizzy, she was scared of confronting Jack.

Jack found the weeks hard; not seeing Lizzy was bad enough, but knowing that she despised him and had misunderstood what he had meant almost tore him apart. The evening following their argument he had taken the bow and arrows into the wood and thrown them into the gloom. Everyday he had mumbled some excuse to his father as to why he couldn't go to the stables but his father's patience had begun to wear thin. In the end, Jack's father sent him on other errands that did not stray near the manor, realising that it was the house that he did not want to be near. While collecting firewood on one of his errands, Jack witnessed three of Gisborne's men forcing their way into a widow's house. The woman was old and Jack knew she was unable to pay all her taxes; the men were here to take what they could. He stood, gaping, at the scene wondering why no one was helping. When he looked around he saw the villagers walking quickly past, heads low, trying to stay out of trouble. He fumed as he realised none of the towns people were going to stop the men. Dropping the firewood, Jack ran into the midst of the soldiers and hit one in his kidney, forcing the man to double over. The groans attracted the attention of the other two guards who turned towards Jack.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" The sound of swords being drawn washed all thoughts of heroism out of Jacks head; he had not thought much further than the initial attack. The two men loomed over him, forcing him to steadily walk back, feeling behind for any sort of weapon. The men continued to advance on him who turned to run, but fell as the flat of a sword smacked him hard around his left ear. He hit the solid ground, the fall forcing the air out of his lungs. Jack gasped and turned onto his back, losing consciousness as the log in the guard's hand made contact with his head.

Lizzy was in the main hall dusting when she heard the servants door open and two boys walk in, carrying lengths of wood. She recognised them instantly as Will and Luke Scarlett. Jack had introduced them once. Lizzy remembered overhearing earlier that week that Gisborne had ordered a new side-piece in the main hall. She was in no mood for talking to the brothers so walked over to the opposite side of the hall to continue cleaning. Soon they had started to assemble the piece of furniture and Lizzy was amazed at the care a workmanship that they put into it. The room was quiet except for the occasional tapping or exchange of measurements; Lizzy knew they did not recognise her and were wary of her presence. She decided to fetch a cloth and some water to begin on the floor. When she returned she quietly let herself into the room as to not disturb the working boys. She managed this very successfully and the brothers, not aware of her presence continued their hushed conversation. Lizzy was stood behind a cabinet and although she could not see them, the pitch of the voices betrayed the speakers.

"I still don't see why we have to build this for Gisborne, Dad should have just refused. I mean, look at this place; he's living in luxury while the town starves. It's not fair! " Lizzy could tell that this was Luke, the younger of the two and obviously more open in his opinions.

"_Shh!_ Don't speak so loudly! Have you forgotten where we are? Anybody could be listening, and you know I agree with you, but what else can we do? Dad had no choice and we need the money." Will's voice was deeper than his brother's and Lizzy assumed that he hated the situation even more but his age had made him rational. Eager to hear, more Lizzy forgot she was hiding and stepped forwards. The boards below her feet creaked. Instantly the two boys turned around and on seeing Lizzy their faces hardened, knowing that she had been listening to the conversation. Lizzy held up her hands to show she wished them no harm.

"Please, I'm with you – I hate Gisborne more then anyone. You're Will and Luck Scarlett, right? I'm friends with…" His name stuck in her throat, it still hurt her to speak or think about Jack. Eventually she managed to whisper his name and Will's face brightened as he finally recognised Lizzy. She smiled as she walked towards the brothers, any sadness about jack disappearing instantly; she had found the answer to her problem.

It was early evening when Jack finally woke, his head thumping as he attempted to open an eye. He was lying in long, damp grass which confused him as his last memories were of landing on hard, well-trodden dirt. Jack's whole body ached as he sat up, steadying himself as a wave of nausea washed over him. He realised the guards must have thrown him into a ditch at the side of the road once he'd lost consciousness. Clutching at the grass, he managed to climb out of the ditch and stumble home. His head spun, the rising bile in his throat forcing him to stop frequently. He had trouble focusing on the path ahead and he was angry at himself for being so reckless. Finally he arrived home and carefully lay down, managing not to wake his sleeping father. Jack was almost immediately asleep, once more leaving the aches and pains of his bruised body.

Will and Luke Scarlett left the house shortly after dark, arms full of bread, flour and other stolen goods. Lizzy stood at the entrance of the courtyard watching the brothers disappear into the darkness. They had been enthusiastic and between the three of them they had worked a plan; the boys would come once a week and collect the food that Lizzy would leave in the stable. She didn't tell them why she couldn't take the food herself but the Scarletts were pleased to be able to help the starving people of Locksley. Lizzy stood at the entrance to the courtyard and watched the figure disappear into the night. _See,_ she thought to herself,_ I can help_.

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**Hope you enjoyed it **

**xxx**


	5. The necklaces

**Hello again!**

**Sorry it has taken so long - I've been busy with my Design GCSE but now it is finished YAY! and here is the next chapter.**

**I know the chapter title is really wierd but i had absolutely nothing to call it but hopefully the story is better than the name (or so i can hope)**

**Thanks to KatGirlMeow for reviewing and Matriaya for reviewing and being my beta :)**

**anyway, enjoy...**

Jack woke to a steady but painful drumming in his head. He had little idea of the time but he knew it was late morning as the sun had already risen. Trying to sit up he realised there was no real need to inspect his wounds; the throbbing told him it wasn't good. Determination found Jack leaning against the wall and enabled him to see the extent of the bruising. The purple colouration on the outside of both thighs suggested to him that the soldiers had not been deterred by his lack of consciousness. 

"_Bastards_" he mumbled to himself while massaging his sore arms; his pitiful attack had taken more out of him than he had expected and with a sense of irony he knew that the aches in his limbs had been self-inflicted. Although there had been no blood, the strike to his head had been hard and that it would take a long time for the swelling to go down. During the course of the morning he managed to find some water and food with minimal use of his body. On any other occasion, wriggling and rolling around the house would have seemed comical to him, but the bruising had left him sore and ill-tempered. By late afternoon he was able to stand. With the help of a sturdy stick he was soon stood on the edge of the forest. Jack hadn't wanted to be seen by anyone so had travelled the slightly longer but quieter route to the woodland. He had a vague idea of where to search and before long he had found what he was looking for. 

Lizzy had spent the day floating around the house, not caring about the floors she scrubbed or the bowls she washed. Everything was going exactly as she had hoped, if not better. Her spirits were raised even higher when she had overheard that Gisborne was visiting another county and would not be returning for some time. The house felt brighter and more alive whenever the master was away and she soon found herself in the stables, lying in the afternoon sunshine on the hay bales. She knew that if caught lazing about her work for the day would be increased tenfold, but somehow the warm autumn glow washed away any feelings of worry.

Months past and before long the fortnightly collections became a regular part of Lizzy's life. She took great satisfaction in knowing that there were people in Locksley who were benefiting from what she was doing, but even this could not fill the emptiness she felt, only hide it. Lizzy had woken on many dark and stormy winter nights, crying for the part of herself she had lost. Alone she would cross the courtyard and in the stables she would find that empty stall, where they used to play, and curl up in the warmth of the straw, rubbing the small leather necklace between her fingers. The smell of the stalls warmed more than her body and she would soon fall asleep, back into the illusion she had created in which nothing was wrong.

Winter slowly turned to spring, and with it came a young man who made his way purposely through the small village of Locksley. He had grown substantially over the winter months, losing the slightly awkward gait that accompanies adolescence and replacing it with the surefootedness of being a young adult. However, there was something odd about the young man, as if he wasn't quite whole. His eyes betrayed this further as he gazed in the direction of the local manor-house, as if searching for something that wasn't quite his.

Jack pulled another arrow into the bow and took aim. With a satisfying 'thud' the arrow arrived near the middle of the target, the force from the shot causing the flight to quiver slightly. The attack had made him more determined than ever and over the months following the healing of his injuries, he had spent most of his time in the forest practicing with the bow. He knew he had no real talent for archery, but he had improved dramatically and could now hit the target from a respectable distance. He grinned and pulled yet another arrow into the bow. This flew nearly as true as its predecessor and embedded itself less than a hand's width from the first. After a couple more shots Jack left to ensure he returned home before his father, stowing the bow once more beneath his sleeping mat. When he stepped back outside he noticed a small package by the door and inside he found a chunk of bread and a sliver of meat. Instantly his brow furrowed as he realised who it was from. Annoyance and sadness gripped his heart, like Lizzy he had put their argument behind him and tried not to think about her any more. However, the parcel had forced the memories back and he spent the remainder of the day feeling numb and unsure. When his father returned in the early hours of dusk, Jack quizzed him about the mysterious parcel and found out that they had been appearing once a month. Usually his father would take them in when he woke, but he hadn't spotted it that particular day. He knew he wouldn't be able to cope with finding the food parcels without showing his gratitude to Lizzy and considering she had never been to his house he decided to leave something for her. He hoped that she would recognise it and realise that it was his house, and maybe even forgive him.

Time passed slowly for Jack but when he knew the next parcel was to arrive within a couple of days Jack took a small leather necklace and hid it near to where the food was usually left. Satisfied that she would be able to spot it, he turned round, and in his mind's eye saw two children from what felt like so long ago. 

"_Oh please Jack" the girl jumped up and down in excitement, her hands locked together, begging the boy to give the necklace to her. "I don't want to keep it – just let me try it on!"_

"_Nope." The boy stood a head taller than the girl, chest pushed out, priding himself over the prize clenched in his hand. "My father made it for me, not you. He said it was 'cause I'm his special son." At this he thrust his hand high in the air, forcing the girl to jump even higher, her arms thrashing in the vain hope of reaching the necklace. Eventually she stopped, tears rolling down her face._

"_But, but I don't have a father to make me one." The girl's upper lip began to tremble and she started bawling, her hands roughly rubbing the tears away. All pride washed out of the boy and guiltily he lowered his hand, opening it in front of the girls face._

"_I'm sorry, please don't cry." The girl's erratic sobs had brought him to tears too. "Have it, Lizzy, I can get another one, then we can both have them. Please, don't cry…" _

Jack blinked and the image was gone. In the dirt behind him was the second necklace, _his _necklace. The memory had brought a lump to his throat and stiffly he turned into the house, collected his bow and quiver and left for the woods.

Lizzy was cleaning the ornaments inside a cabinet in the hall when Gisborne and the woman walked through the door. The woman was shorter than Gisborne and very pretty. Her brown curls fell softly round her face and she struck Lizzy as being very independent and capable of watching her own back. It took her a minute to realise that the woman stood before her was Lady Marian. She had not seen her at Locksley Manor since before Robin's departure and from what she could remember Marian was lacking the warm smile she used to have when Robin was around. It seemed to Lizzy that it was not just the peasants who missed the old master. She was interested to see what business Lady Marian had with Gisborne but they walked swiftly, and in Marian's case tensely, through without sharing more than pleasantries. She was annoyed that she hadn't been able to eavesdrop but nothing could spoil her happiness today as tonight the small packages hidden in the stables would be gone and once more the people of Locksley would be given a little extra food.

As night fell two shadows entered the courtyard of Locksley Manor and headed silently to the stables. Using the moonlight they located the parcels and quickly hid them beneath their cloaks before disappearing into the night. As they passed through the village they came across a leather tag attached to a length of twine left outside one house. As they laid the parcel down they placed it on a nearby log, so that the owner would easily spot it in the morning. Once more they disappeared into the dark, but they were not alone.

As dawn broke Jack rushed out of the house to see if Lizzy had been and sure enough there was the small parcel and the necklace was gone. The smile on his face vanished as he caught sight of the leather square resting on a log. It had obviously been found and as his father was still sleeping, he knew Lizzy must have found it. He was angry – why hadn't she taken the gift? Surely she still remembered it. He threw down the parcel and walked away down the road. He was still thinking about why she would have rejected his gift when he reached the middle of the village and found that a large group of people had gathered there. Unable to see, he pushed his way to the front of the crowd, and what he saw made him gasp. Guy of Gisborne stood beside five guards and a sixth began to shout something out to the crowd. The words were nothing but noise to Jack who staring fixedly on the two boys held roughly by the guards. Will and Luke Scarlett looked exhausted and he suspected they had been beaten up pretty badly by Gisborne's men. As he wondered what had happened, Gisborne's words sliced through his thoughts. 

"…the penalty for stealing from _my_ house…" 

Realisation hit Jack hard; Will and Luke had been working with Lizzy, that's why no one had taken the gift. He didn't need to hear any more, he already knew what the consequence would be. Before he knew what was happening, Jack forced his way through the crowd and started running towards the house; he had to tell her.

Lizzy, an egg smuggled in the folds of her apron, was in the process of shifting a hay bale when she heard the footsteps in the yard. She turned to see a young man standing at the entrance of the stables, his clothes and face wet with sweat. 

Jack was breathing heavily. He realised she had changed since he had last seen her; she was now taller and slightly slimmer, with larger curves than he remembered. It was now nearly summer and the sun had covered her freckles with a wash a tanned skin. He realised suddenly how beautiful she was and it took him longer than he wished to realise that he was staring. 

It took Lizzy a moment to recognise the figure stood before her, but when she did her heart skipped a beat, before her mind took control once more.

"What do you want Jack?" her voice was cold, but there was an undertone of curiosity and maybe something more. She rolled the smooth egg over and over in her hands, "you know you're not wanted here anymore."

"Please, you have to listen to me" he forced the words out before she turned away, "I know what you've been doing. That Will and Luke Scarlett have been helping you, but-"

"What of it? You wouldn't help, so I found people who really believe in what I wanted to do." Lizzy was beginning to anger; she didn't want to justify what she was doing to _him_.

"No! Listen to me will you! Will and Luke have been caught by Gisborne; he's gonna take their hands for stealing!"

The egg slipped out of Lizzy's fingers onto the stone cobbles, the thin shell shattered, allowing the liquid within to ooze slowly down the rivulets between the stones.


	6. Repercussions

**Right!**

**I'm sorry how long it has taken to post this - I feel really bad :(**

**I'm going to blame my GCSE revision as it has been swallowing up all my free time (very upsetting I know)**

**However, my last 2 exams are on Wednesday (tomorrow) which hopefully means that I will be able to continue with Fanfiction (YAY)**

**Maybe I'll manage to improve my update time... :S**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed - I really appreciate it :)**

**...**

"I – I..." Her lip trembled as the words dragged her down, holding tight like mud. She couldn't think, the monotonous buzzing in her ears swallowing up the sound of Jack's voice; but she could still see the look on his face. She knew he was worried about her and how she would deal with the news, but that just make things worse. She couldn't bear to see him look at her like that. She wanted him to be angry at her or shout or anything except just looking at her like _that_. As she ran from the stables, she tried to apologise to him, but the words stuck in her throat and her tears welled forth. Briefly turning, she saw the back of Jack, his head now facing the floor where her feet had been just seconds earlier.

He didn't know what to do; he knew that if he followed Lizzy then somehow he'd makes things worse, he just knew it. But at the same time he couldn't leave her like this, he knew she would blame herself for everything. A voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Are you alright?" A milkmaid, probably around his own age stood just behind him. Jack had never seen her before but, apart from Lizzy and his father, he knew none of the staff who worked for Gisborne.

"I'm, I'm fine, thank you" He decided that it would be best for him to leave before Gisborne returned. As he walked past the girl he had a sudden thought. "I don't suppose you know Elizabeth Bothem, do you?"

"You mean Lizzy?" He nodded dumbly. "Yes, of course I know her; we are in the same servant quarters. Why do you ask?"

Jack paused as he decided how much to tell the milkmaid. In the end he realised it would be best to tell her a truthful, but much shortened account. He told her that she was friends with the two Scarlett boys and when he had broken the news to her she had seemed very distraught and upset. "I was wondering if you would keep an eye on her for me, I don't want her to do anything stupid"

The girl smiled and promised that she would. Jack turned and walked slowly away towards Locksley; he was in no rush to return to the scene of the boys' punishment.

...

Lizzy was lying on her mattress in the servants quarters. One of the kindly, older maids had seen her running into the pantry crying and, realising that she would be more of a hindrance than help in her current state,had sent her off to the rooms. Although she had stopped shaking, she could feel her insides twisting with guilt and self-loathing; it was all her fault. She knew that if she had listened to him from the start none of this would ever have happened. She curled up tighter, holding her knees to her chest, trying to think of a way out of the mess she had made. But she knew she was trapped. The door creak open somewhere behind her but did not turn over. She heard light steps on the floorboards and then the straw in the mattress next to her rustled slightly as someone sat down. She turned over slowly to see Clara looking at her, eyes full of worry. She sat up and looked at the girl; she was a few years younger than Lizzy but was perhaps one of the only new staff that she liked.

"Are you OK?" Clara looked genuinely worried about her. This made Lizzy feel worse; she didn't want people trying to care for her, not after what she'd done.

"I'm fine, please don't worry about me." She wanted the girl to leave, but at the same time she didn't want to be left alone to stew in her guilt. She looked up at Clara and tried to smile, but her lower lip was quivering and her eyes welled up with water once again. She turned over and began to quietly sob. Clara waited until she was calm again before speaking.

"I think that when you are upset, it is always best to take your mind off the problem, and only return to it once you feel able to." She smiled warmly at Lizzy. "Now, I have to go and bring in the cows, and you are very welcome to join me." The girl got up and began to walk away from Lizzy towards the door. Slowly, she lifted herself of the mattress and silently followed Clara who continued to walk without once looking back to see if she was coming.

...

When Jack reached the village he headed straight to his house, taking the longer route so as to avoid the now empty square. His father was already home when he walked in. Avoiding his father's gaze he headed to the basic larder which consisted of a long wooden bench, a few shelves and a drying rack. He could see one of the little parcels sat on the highest shelf, out of the way of prying eyes. Reaching up, he took the package and unwrapped it. Inside there was a small chunk of bread and an egg. Rolling the smooth object over in his hands, Jack shut his eyes tightly, closing them from the injustices and brutality of their lives.

"You've heard haven't you?" His father's words broke the silence. Jack nodded, his eyes still closed.

"How could they do this to them?" With this he turned to look at his father, whose expression had become one of confusion.

"But I thought you knew."

"What?"

"Jack, Dan Scarlett took the blame; his boys are fine. He told Gisborne that they were doing it for him so he was the one they had to punish. Gisborne was angry, we could all see that, but because Dan had admitted to the crime, they had to punish him. I know it's not any better, but at least they only got one hand." His father walked up to him and put his hand on Jack's shoulder, squeezing slightly as he smiled faintly at his son. "It's about as close as we'll get to beating him." Jack smiled back at his father, and it was a genuine smile; his father was right. With such evil around you had to take solace in even the smallest of wins.

Jack's smile faded as he thought of Lizzy, and then reappeared as he realised that maybe he could use this to show her that she shouldn't blame herself. On his way towards the Manor, he caught sight of the Scarlett's house. _I will go tell her, there's just somewhere else I need to go to first..._

_..._

Lizzy let the afternoon breeze whip her brown curls around her face. Clara was just shutting the barn door, leaving the cattle to settle before the evening milking. She turned to look at Lizzy who, despite her puffy, red eyes, was looking better. She smiled at her; "I told you you'd feel better!" Lizzy smiled back and together they headed towards the house.

"I'll have to go light the fires in the main house, but thank you; I really do feel batter." Lizzy hugged the young milkmaid before running back into the kitchens. Clara turned and headed towards the storerooms to collect a stool and pail, shaking her head and wondering what had caused all the commotion.

...

The smile was now gone from Lizzy's face. She was climbing the stairs to Gisborne's personal quarters, having been given the duty of lighting the fires up there. Her legs felt like lead and she walked coldly up the wooden steps. She hated this job more than any other and was never sure if he would be there or not. As she walked she wished and wished that he wasn't; not after what had happened. Not today. Reaching the top step she stood motionless, controlling her breathing and willing her body not to shake. She walked towards the first door, her impassive facade fraying slightly at the edges.

...

Gisborne was in a foul mood. He sat in silence, his chair facing the fireplace which was yet to be lit. In his hand there was a large bottle of foul-smelling spirit which he would swig from regularly. He was stewing slowly in his anger; _First Marion and now __this_. _Why does she avoid me? She can't possibly believe her beloved Robin will return, can she? I am more of a man than he will ever be._ He took another mouthful of the liquid. _And if it wasn't for that stupid carpenter, I would have had those boys. Two hands I would have taken; it would have showed__them all how powerful I really am. But instead a useless old man loses his hand. Now they don't fear me; they __mock__ me. _Gisborne drank the last of the liquid before slamming the empty bottle down on the table beside him. He heard the door open behind him, but only grumbled at the servant to hurry up and light the fire. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his temples in a vain attempt to stop the room from spinning.

Lizzy felt her whole body sag as she caught sight of the dark clothed figure slumped in the chair. The room stank of strong spirit, causing Lizzy to wrinkle her nose in an attempt to dislodge the smell. She walked quickly past the chair and knelt beside the fireplace. She hoped the embers might still be warm, making her job easier and, more importantly, quicker. She was in no such luck and began the slow and tedious job of relighting of the fire. Her hands were shaking; she slipped and dropped the iron tongs. The noise exploded in the silent room.

Gisborne's eyes snapped open at the noise. He could see the slightly blurred outline of a girl hunched by the fireplace. In an instant he was beside her, dragging the girl to her feet. The noise and his anger had sobered him quickly and his rage was feeding off the fear in her eyes...

**So what did you think?? (Please tell meeee!!)**

**I know its left on a bit of a cliffhanger but hopefully it wont be too long before the next chapter is up :D**

**swirling-embers**

**xxx**


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